2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N to get 580-620 hp AWD powertrain [Update]

Update: ‘Specifications’ section updated.

The N version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been given the green light for launch, and it is set to be the first road-legal pure electric vehicle from Hyundai’s N division. Here’s everything we know about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N:

Design & Styling

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will be developed for people who love to drive. It will be a treat for even customers who aren’t performance enthusiasts and prefer sportier styling.

Exclusive wheels, bumpers, paint, and tires

In July 2022, Instagram user shorts_car published the first spy shots of an Ioniq 5 N with its production body. The prototype seemed to be in the Hyundai N signature Performance Blue color. At the front, it had a vertical red strip between its V-shaped positioning lamp and an exclusive bumper sporting a larger central air intake and vertical side air inlets.

Subsequent captures showed the Ioniq 5 N prototypes with the production body. The images revealed that the grille of the lower intake features small dash-pattern inserts. On the sides, the Ioniq 5 N features body-colored wheel arches, unique five-spoke alloy wheels with a hub cap featuring Hyundai N’s logo, side skirts with a red stripe, and red brake calipers. At the rear, a Hyundai N signature triangular high-mount stop light and a more aggressive roof spoiler give the Ioniq 5 a unique styling.

Guided by spy shots, we’ve shown a fixed split air intake in our illustration (above), which should address the need for higher and prolonged cooling. This design also helps it look more aggressive. Blackened headlights and lower fascia add to Ioniq 5 N’s exclusive styling at the front. Lastly, a lip spoiler communicates the N variant’s extra-low stance and a red strip on the same gives it a race-ready style.

The Ioniq 5 N rides on sporty double-spoke wheels finished in black, featuring the N logo, and wrapped in grippier tires. These alloys are inspired by the Pirelli P Zero-wrapped units of the Ioniq 5 N prototypes in recent spy shots. Black fender flares, ORVMs, and door molding add to the sportiness, as do the uniquely designed rocker panels featuring a grey finish on their top part and a red strip on the bottom.

Inside, expect unique upholstery, changes in the graphics of the central display, and one or more performance-related buttons on the steering wheel.

Sound

The biggest drawback of high-performance electric vehicles is that they’re silent. While accelerating, they lack the excitement gas-powered alternatives offer with the sound generated by their special exhaust systems. Artificially generated sound is the only solution to add emotion to this aspect. Hyundai is developing ’N Sound’ for performance EVs and something called ’N e-shift’ to complement that artificial sound. N e-shift replicates a gated manual shifter, discussed later in the story.

Specifications

The Ioniq 5 N has been under development in Germany since 2021. Andrew Tuitahi, General Manager (Product), Hyundai (Australia), had told media that if the company’s N division makes an Ioniq 5 (N), it would be “really quick, very powerful, and lots of fun,” as per a piece by whichcar.com.au, filed in October 2021.

At a media conference held in Germany recently, Albert Biermann said that the Ioniq 5 N will be “much faster” than the i30 N, Drive reported on September 7, 2022. Previously the President and Head of the R&D Division of Hyundai Motor Group, Biermann now works as an Executive Technical Advisor for the company. The i30 N can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 5.4 seconds in its most performance-focused configuration, and it has a standard top speed of 155 mph.

Biermann added that the Ioniq 5 N “has almost 600 horsepower.” When asked for a precise system power figure, he said that Hyundai N hasn’t finalized but “it could be 580, 600, or 620 horsepower.”

Video Source: YouTube/CarSpyMedia

The Ioniq 5 N has undergone winter testing at the Hyundai Mobis Proving ground in Arjeplog’s freezing temperatures as low as -22°F. Following the Swedish tests, Hyundai said it will be the true driver enthusiast’s choice for a year-round performance EV. The first series-production Hyundai N model with all-wheel drive will be capable and plenty of fun even in extreme weather.

e-LSD

The Ioniq 5 N will sport two motors, one on each axle. An electronic-Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD) at the rear will tweak the torque going to each rear wheel as needed. After testing a prototype on a frozen lake in Arjeplog, Sweden, Car And Driver said that Hyundai N went for an open differential with brake-based torque vectoring in the front to keep the front-end light and save cost. Still, that setup works well. Both differentials performed well in keeping the EV straight during launches and under hard ABS involvement.

The Ioniq 5 N will allow the driver to simulate the gearshifts of a gas-powered car, per C&D. That will be possible by pressing a dedicated button on the right side of the steering wheel and then pulling either of the paddles behind the steering wheel. Three artificial driving sounds will be available, and one of them will be similar to that of a high-revving four-cylinder gas engine.

Higher rigidity & different settings

The rear (main) motor will be different from the unit of the Ioniq 5, Road & Track, also present at the drive event, reported. It mentioned a reduced length, an increased width, more camber, stiffer springs and roll bars, and a different steering ratio also among the technical changes. MotorTrend learned from the same drive event that the Body In White (BIW) will have additional welds for higher rigidity and that the stiffer elements will include the subframe bushings as well.

The 0-60 mph acceleration time and top speed of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N could be similar to those of the Kia EV6 GT. For reference, these specifications of the Kia model are 3.4 seconds and 161 mph, respectively. Drive’s report suggests that the Ioniq 5 N’s specs could be better!

Driving dynamics

The sheer power, quick acceleration, and “tonnes of speed” won’t be the only specialties in the Ioniq 5 N. The key aspect of high-performance models is the pulsating driving experience, which the 5 N will deliver.

Driving enthusiasts and EV-booers have long said EVs can’t do much more than accelerate quicker in a straight line, but prototype drive reports suggest the Ioniq 5 N will quash that opinion, showing plenty of character in a variety of performance driving situations, not just quarter-mile runs. During the development, Hyundai N didn’t forget enthusiasts who drive sideways, as Biermann says that the Ioniq 5 N will have “drift mode.”

Drive modes

MotorTrend says the driver will be able to choose from the same three basic drive modes as in the regular Ioniq 5: Normal, Sport, and Eco. The prototype showed “remarkable” stability during its drive event in Sweden. An ‘N Mode’ setting unleashes the true wild side of the Ioniq 5 N, allowing the driver to completely turn off the stability control system off and enable the ‘N Drift Optimizer.’ It’s possible to even imitate a conventional car’s clutch-kick to swing the car’s rear while entering a corner.

On turning off the N Drift Optimizer and then enabling an ‘Ndurance Race Mode followed by an ‘N Torque’ mode, the system will be able to direct 100% of the torque to the rear wheels, or even the front wheels, should the driver choose that style. In the drift mode, the front/rear torque split is 25:75, MotorTrend got about the same feeling when it simply kept the stability control off and changed that ratio to 20:80.

C&D drove the prototype up on a 20% grade, with the right-side wheels on clean ice, and the EV climbed without a fuss. R&T says the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, at least on the snow-clad surfaces that it drove on, does have a more “wild heart” than the Kia EV6 GT. It’s more willing to slide, too. Compared to the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 5 N has a different tuning for regenerative braking.

Range

A 77.4 kWh battery pack should be a standard fitment in the Ioniq 5 N. It may deliver an EPA-est. range of between 200 and 225 miles.

Aspect	Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Specification (Expected)
Drivetrain Layout	AWD
No. of Motors	Two
System Power	580-620 hp
System Torque	Around 546 lb.-ft.
0-60 mph Acceleration Time	Approx. 3.5 seconds
Top Speed	About 155 mph
Battery Pack	77.4 kWh
Range (EPA)	200-225 miles

Price & Release Date

In addition to sharing its first impressions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, MotorTrend has revealed that the high-performance EV’s official unveiling will happen at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 13-16, 2023). Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand Management and Motorsport sub-division, Hyundai Motor Company, told YouTube channel Everyday Reviews’ Brian Chow at this year’s Canadian Auto Show in February 2023 that the Ioniq 5 N’s global launch will take place later in 2023. Further, he confirmed that the high-performance crossover will arrive in North America in early 2024.

We’re confident that U.S. dealerships will be the first retail outlets in North America to get the Ioniq 5 N. Prices may start at around USD 60,000.

Hyundai is extensively testing the Ioniq 5 N around the world to perfect it for all its main markets. Lately, we’ve seen a particularly high number of test mule sightings in South Korea, which will likely be among its initial launch markets. On February 24, 2023, Autospy member 냠근작성작성일 shared pictures of a camouflaged Ioniq 5 captured in the downtown area, next to a third-gen Santa Fe prototype.

The first all-electric Hyundai N model will compete with Hyundai Motor Group’s own Kia EV6 GT, which is available in the U.S. Also watch out for the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, which should reach the marketplace by 2024.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N FAQs

Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s illustration of the Ioniq 5 N guided by spy shots.